


Sun Will Rise

by lis (LisoftheWoods)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Bang Chan-centric, Chronic Illness, Gen, Lee Felix (Stray Kids)-centric, Miroh inspired, Not Really Character Death, Revolution, Team Bonding, well some very background characters death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-02-26 16:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18720784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LisoftheWoods/pseuds/lis
Summary: The chronic illness that sits inside of every single person alive is paving the way for humanity extinction. Underground labs searching for cures and killing more people than illness takes, radical groups making up the revolutions one after another. Walls of huge dome separate those who can pay for their health from those who can't.In the middle of this mess, Chan, a mercenary who tries to help people around him as much as he could, meets Felix.Everything starts where everything always ends - in the coffin.





	1. Coffins of their friends

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> This is my first work in Stray Kids fandom and I don't really know what am I doing. This was born from a scratch and actually already has more than this single chapter, but as always I couldn't wait until I finish it. The first chapter is rather small, more like an intro to the hell the boys will go through, but there's a lot happening, so I'll leave you with this for a week :D  
> Also English is not my native, so even if I edited it, there might be some mistakes uwu
> 
> Notes in the beginning will contain songs that I use as OST for this fic. Please give them a go <3
> 
> TW for this chapter: nausea, decaying bodies (not too gorish)
> 
> CH. 1 OST:  
> Keiichi Okabe - 精霊ノ迷路 (Maze of Solitude)  
> Keiichi Okabe - Cold Steel Coffin

No matter how many months or years passed, Chan could easily remember them all.

Cold steel coffins. All the same size and form. The only thing different are people locked inside of them.

His classmate from the time when Chan still believed he could change the world if he studies hard. The boy who, just like Chan, believed that everyone worth of living longer, was killed in a Slums Revolt. Historically it was Sixth time when Slums protested, but district people never ever counted. All they wanted is protection and cure, and based on how higher-ups were living (long and bright life), it was pretty much possible. His classmate was the last victim of the Revolt.

His nieces, both taken by the illness. Small, fragile bodies, black locks. Skin, white and dry as paper. Their family was too poor to organize the funerals, but Chan gave all the money he had just to get them coffin. One of the twins couldn't live without another – she never let her parents to take her dead sister away, and died in two days close to her, dark curls intertwined, Pre-Raphaelite painting, too bright to be real. So real that tears streamed without Chan noticing them.

His comrades, uncountable number of them, coffin after a coffin on dark, burned soil. He's eighteen, a year in a military, his first local conflict and his second hope broken.

Education can't help him. Strength can't help him. Nothing can't help this world.

He saw too many cold steel coffins. They are imprinted on his retina, he can see them in his dreams, where he walks past opened metal boxes, people he has lost lying there – warm, breathing, alive, slowly turning white, losing their warmth, going dry, decaying slowly.

 

He saw too many coffins, and now he's lying in one of them, fingers curled on black steel case he just obtained few minutes ago.

It was such an easy task, to be frank. Facility in the City Ruins, closed and super secretive. Case with something that Chan's client needed. Sneak in, take it, go away. All the blueprints and passwords are in his hands, just make it quick and don't make a sound. Easy-peasy. He could even leave the gun, but Chan always was precautious. 

It took him about half of an hour to sneak into lab and trace the case. It was in West Wing. Whole map of this facility was in Laboratory 1, Laboratory 2, Meeting Room, Biohazard Labs. Probably another lab to find the cure, Chan thought, already on his way back – white coat, white mask. But then sharp, drilling sound pierced his ears, and red lights illuminated the hall.

"Emergency. Emergency. Violator in the South Wing. Emergency. Emergency. Violator in the South Wing."

True to Chan, he was the violator – but, based on the map he had, he still was in the West Wing. He still decided to hurry, and ran where the emergency exit was marked on the map. It called _Waste Room_ , and Chan ran there, knowing very well that the only thing that can leave any facility is, in fact, trash.

He freezed when he saw coffins. A lot of coffins, some stacked one on another, some – open and ready for another _waste_ to be thrown away.

You can't mistake trash bin, or box, or container with a coffin. Coffin smaller and rectangular. They are exactly the same as decades ago, just made of steel.

Chan had no time to think; he slipped into one of them when he heard rushed steps behind the door. He closed his coffin just before someone entered the password and locked morgue behind them, breath is heavy and husky. The alarm was still on, and now young woman's voice was announcing that the violator moved to the West Wing. So here they are.

From his coffin Chan still could hear how somewhere far away in the room violator typed something in command console and violently pressed last button. Something in the room started moving. Then – another coffin somewhere next to him closed.

It was a long minute of silence, just alarms and Chan's heavy breathing – and then he felt the movement outside his box. His coffin was the trash about to be dumped somewhere outside of the facility.

All the way down – or up, it was hard to tell in this steel mixer, – was shaky. Chan was thrown on every wall of his steel box, and he only hoped he'll get out of this coffin in one piece. He heard how the water splashed when the coffin landed somewhere, and water gave him a whole minute of stillness, where Chan could check his own stats. Arms and legs – good, just bruises and maybe some scratches. Nose was bleeding, and he only hoped it was the usual and not a fracture.

And then there was another flight – and sound of falling water, just for few seconds until the coffin landed and the lid breaking open. The power of the fall pushed Chan out of the coffin, his fingers still holding the case tightly even when he rolled on the ground, wet and sticky, with absolutely no chance to make it stop.

It took Chan a long minute to come into his senses and open his eyes. The sky, yellow and red, was spinning above him, and Chan straightened out a hand in useless attempt to make it stop. The he focused on his hand – scratches and bruises, dirt and his own blood.

The first sense he gained after that – a smell. He breathed a thick air of his surroundings and immediately felt heavy nausea, his sight blackening at the smell of rotting flesh. Chan rolled on a side just to see a half-rotten body, small, so small – light blonde hair were all messy and dirty. A coffin, damaged, was also near.

Around him there were other opened coffins and bodies in every state of decay, and the air was sticking to the lungs, trying to get away with nausea. Chan haven't ate anything since yesterday – not like he has something that would be just enough to throw out.

Then Chan finally heard something besides the water falling, and tried to sit up to look around more and find the source of banging. He finally saw the pipe, two or three floors up above, the river with coffins drowned or stuck here and there. And he saw another coffin, fresh one, that was rocking left to right slightly. And someone inside of it was banging on the lid, trying to get out.

Chan found his gun – thank god it still was there, in his holster, and thank god it was on the lock and didn't shot him in the ass. The case still safely in his arms, he proceeded then to another steel box, holding a gun ready – as he was approaching the box closer, the weaker banging was. Chan almost touched the lid when it swung open – and body fell on the wet soil.

It was a boy. Ginger messy hair and dirty shade of white shirt and pants, number embroidery on the back, on the sleeve – and probably on the chest, too.

The boy was coughing and touching his body as if he was also checking his physical stats. He haven't noticed Chan yet – boy eyes were fixed on the dirty blonde mop of hair.

"Bastards," the boy whispered, his voice surprisingly deep, before he started choking on air and coughing again.

Only when the boy could breath – as much as it possible, – it's when he stood up and turned to Chan, being absolutely not surprised or scared at least. The boy had freckles – a lot of them, so bright and sunny; Chan never saw such freckles, the people he met in his life had just mush of brown points on their noses.

The boy's stance was unsure, so he, huffing, found an open lid of his coffin to lean on it. "Are you a cleaner?" he asked, looking at Chan with a slight furrow.

Chan blinked. "Who?"

"The man comes here to drag all the bodies somewhere before they rot. I haven't seen one in a while, he's probably drinking his horrors away..." The boy smiled, just a weak press of the lips, and turned his eyes back to Chan.

"You're obviously not him." The boy's eyes reached the case in Chan's hands. "You stole it from the lab? I never saw you there."

"Because I'm not from the lab," Chan sighed. "Are you their patient?"

The suddenly turned his head away, startled – and before Chan could ask for the answer, he made him hide behind the coffin. They saw people in the end of the field – all in medical clothes and masks. The boy dropped his head down, almost folding in three, and Chan, who was hiding near, carefully peeked out of their cover.

"Help me."

He heard whisper behind his back.

"Please, help me, they'll find me, they'll torture me."

Chan winced. The boy’s deep voice was shaking.

"They test the cure on us but they're nowhere to be close to it, a lot of kids there… my friends... they just die one after another test but they tell us they're now healed."

Fingers snagged on Chan's sleeve when he looked back at the boy. He was nearly crying, head still lowered, body shivering. And this is where he almost lost a moment.

He jumped out of their cover before the lab guy who noticed them had a chance to call another for one. Chan used heavy case to smash guy in the face, knocking him down, and then a gun – to take out another.

"Run!" he screamed to a boy, and the boy heard him well; he took off and ran behind Chan, he ran for his dear life, following his steps and making turns just when it needed.

 

They got on Chan's bike just before the warning red covered whole area around them, leaving behind the coffins of their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/touchtofeel)   
>  [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/touchtofeel)


	2. Felix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chan's Cloud Strife (Advent Children) vibes intensifying (thank him showing off his wolf earring and talking about Cloud on vlive)
> 
> OST:  
> Keiichi Okabe - Song of Ancients (Popola); Yonah (Piano Version)
> 
> You can thing that at this point I could just tell you to listen to all Nier OST, but don't be fulled - next chapter will bring new music.

His name was Felix. 

Chan learned it after they finally reached his hideout, the house on the territory between Slums and Miroh, Rurals, counter-clockwise from where the City Ruins were. The territory where no one wants to be – to close to where Slums factories placed, lack of air cleaning systems, has no walls and domes to hide citizens from bad weather and “infectious” Slums people. No one claimed it, so Chan decided that no one would mind if he just takes a house with a huge hole in it’s roof and furnish it to his liking. With the help of his friends in Miroh he even managed to pull it off legally.

They messed their traces so if anyone even tried to follow them (Chan haven’t noticed anything like this) they couldn’t find them. Experience and now years of mercenary work and running away from pursuit told Chan that no one was interested in this area, so chances that somebody will actually go and search the house, hiding between other small and ruined houses, were very low.

Back in the days Rurals were a nice place to live. Parks, water bodies, green grass. The mountainous terrain and pretty houses with wide backyards, gardens with flowers and veggies. Chill and comfortable life for big families or old couples. At least, that what Chan’s generation saw in the books.

It’s amazing how everything changed in just fifty years, how one explosion changed life of people and brought them to complete dystopia – not something they were waiting for. An explosion granted them with weak immunity and degenerating organs, low health stats affected every aspect of their living, flipped the progress that was just around the corner to the state where space exploration were meaningless without people who can at least work eight hours five days in a week.

In the age of Miroh, person considered healthy only if they could live a day without headache or a sneeze at least five hours.

So, his name was Felix.

He was standing close to white wall of Chan’s hallway as if he trying to blend with it, while Chan himself was locking the doors and checking monitors – he placed cameras here and there on his way home. Felix’s robes indeed were white, but already too dirty after their run. He was scared, Chan noticed it when they just arrived – boy’s body, pressed to Chan’s behind on the bike, shivering.

“Don’t worry. I’m a chill guy. And this is my house, you can just… wait here for a while.”

They spent the rest of this night erasing the traced of hideous smell in a bathroom, sitting back to back, scratching bodies with rough washcloth. This is when Chan noticed marks on Felix’s arms – small dots left by big needles, bruises made by catheters. Felix was hiding his arms when Chan walked in with his turtleneck and soft pants, so he decided not to ask for comments.

Both wasn’t much hungry after this grand escape, so they skipped the part when they eat together with mutual untold agreement – Chan just opened the fridge and looked at Felix, whose face turned slightly green.

Felix was still curious about the case Chan stealed from the lab, so, when he finally found a courage to speak first, he pointed at the case Chan placed on kitchen counter.

“You were in the lab to get this?”

Chan nodded and made his way to this case, fingers testing the lock. He had the password – his client probably was related to that facility, so they promptly supplied him with needed combination, and Chan knew it by heart. 

As he was entering the numbers, Felix spoke again.

“Gonna bet it’s latest version of SOL medication. They always keep few syringes like this to provide it to some higher-ups in Miroh…”

“You know a lot,” Chan snickered – there were three syringes in the case, all of them with the same red liquid.

“I was their lab rat. And this one is not working – few kids died after third syringe.”

“You surely know a lot... “

Felix pressed his lips, avoiding Chan’s eyes, and shrugged.

“They were my friends,” he said, voice low.

“Were you testing these too?”

Boy shook his head, settling himself on one of the chairs.

“No. I tested… other versions. They had no effect at all.”

His fingers ran along his arm, full of marks hidden under the dark cloth. Chan averted his eyes too and closed the case.

Felix could die there too, he thought. He could stay there, become another tester and die if the medicine not working again – or working wrong.

Miroh’s priority was to find the cure, and ironically enough, that had nothing to do with humanism. No one spoke about it out loud, but people knew – most of the latest medicine were tested on people. Chan heard a lot of stories about people missing or even voluntary going to the lab, so they can try and cure them, or, at least, pay their family. He never met anyone who left the lab alive though. Only Felix, the boy, probably few years younger than Chan himself, ran away – and he was still scared. 

“You’re not going to use them, right?” Felix asked few seconds later, voice cracking – then he’s bended in two in new coughing episode.

Chan hurried to get him water, and only after a moment that Felix took to finish his glass, answered.

“No, of course not. It’s for my client… I’m mercenary, you know… helping here and there for money. Stealing, protection…”

“Killing?”

Chan froze, but just for a bit – he shook this word off and shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

“Only if it is what needed to protect someone. I… I had enough during last revolt.”

Last – but not the least. Chan heard there’s another group of over enthusiastic people in Miroh who’s preparing to take over the city and lead to the better future. One of them once even contacted Chan, but all he could help them is his service as mercenary. He could hate current government as much as other people, but he also could help more if he’s a lone hired gun whose only responsibility – is himself.

At that moment he wasn’t sure that Felix was going to stay with him.

“So you’re a Robin Hood of our generation,” the boy smiled.

“Not that popular, but… something similar.”

At this Felix just snorted and went in silence, surprisingly comfortable for both of them.

Then they decided to sleep – Chan prepared a bed for Felix in the living room, but ended up sleeping right next to him after Felix was caught up in fear again. He was about to close the door to his door when he heard boy’s voice, asking him to stay a bit longer.

“Just for a bit. Until I fall asleep.”

Chan went to his room anyway – just to get another pillow and throw it near Felix’s, smiling from ear to ear.

“I guess we both need a company.”

Turned out Felix’s sleep were troubled by nightmares – he whined and whispered something through his sleep, but never woke up; Chan touched his shoulder, but all he got is another sniff and boy’s suffering face in front of him. If Chan wasn’t so sleepy he could actually snap, but all energy left him – and all he could do is drag Felix closer and take his hand, listening to his heavy breath with one ear – until the boy finally went quiet.

 

Chan woke up hours and hours later, when sun already filled the room through dusted windows. He couldn’t find Felix near him, so for a whole second he thought that yesterday’s encounter was just a dream. Yet it wasn’t – half awake, Chan heard Felix’s voice in a distance, his short laugh and then another voice he couldn’t identify at first.

That what made Chan finally jump out of his morning drowsiness. He got stuck in blankets, but his mind was already running to the kitchen, when the source of voices was at – that’s when he heard another voice again.

“Sorry for scaring you again. Honestly, Bang Chan doesn’t have much of guests here…”

Woojin.

Chan fell on his pillow again, burying his face in it. How could he not recognize him – basically the only person that could be troubled to get here, in between Slums and Miroh.

Woojin was medic in Miroh’s Medical Squad – the one that goes to the Slums in especially difficult circumstances: mass infections, industrial accidents, that kind of thing. There were medics in the Slums too, but none of them got enough of experience and competence – most of them were deployed there from Miroh by government because those in the capital doesn’t need half-assed specialists. At least that’s what Woojin himself said.

So he studied hard while Chan was serving in army, and helping people in the Slums was his own choice. He could’ve move there, too, but he also needed to help his family, so he decided to stay in capital. In Woojin’s words, if he can help himself and those close to him first, then he could also try and save other people.

By now his strategy was working.

When Chan finally stood up, Woojin had a very lovely time with Felix – they were sitting at kitchen counter, both with cups of something warm and nice, Felix’s breakfast gone long time ago, another one covered with glass lid, waiting between the boy and Woojin.

They noticed Chan, wrapped in his blanket, and turned their heads – Woojin wearing sly smile while Felix blushing for some reason.

“Oh hey, sleeping beauty. Your breakfast is getting cold. I decided to visit you and check if you still alive… but this young fella almost knocked me out with pan.” Woojin pointed on Felix, who now lowered his head even deeper.

“I’m sorry…”

“Oh, you shouldn’t. I wasn’t aware there’s somewhere aside of Chan. And of course he forgot about my existence and chances that I appear any time soon were very low…”

“He’s always coming when his brain remind him about me. Like, one time I haven’t seen him in a month, and if not the work I had in the Slums where we met, we could’ve not see each other in another month,” explained Chan, settling him in front of his breakfast, still rolled in the blanket.

Felix giggled, watching him – not sure if it’s what Chan said was funny or Chan himself.

Woojin and Chan were talking about something but Felix wasn’t really interested; he drifted in his thought, feeling somehow obscure, absurd. As if he shouldn’t be there, sharing these surprisingly cozy moments.

It wasn’t even a day since he escaped the lab. It wasn’t even a week since he planned this escape. It wasn’t even a month since he lost one – and the last – person who even considered to talk to him in this laboratory.

It was weird, so fucking weird, that now even his own being felt like it’s simulation; he curled his fingers, uncurled, then again curled them into a fist – fist was real, at least. When you have a fist, you have a chance to break through – break through anything, be that your own mind castle or facility outside Miroh where kids are nothing but lab rats.

Woojin and Chan were arguing about something, and Felix decided to fix a smile on his face, so if he’s ever paid attention by them, he looked zoned out at least. Well, he was zoning out – his mind still was in his laboratory ward, small white space with nothing but bed and computer, monitoring his life stats when he’s sleeping; in white corridors with kids walking in straight lines from point A to point B; in huge dining room, too big for the kids who left in the facility.

All those spaces were dead silent, dead white; Felix saw dead bodies – their skin turned white, sometimes with intricate dark blue motif of veins and vasculars. The only room alive was study, where kids gathered after all tests between breakfast and lunch. They had books, games and each other to keep the illusion of sanatorium – a place where they live until they’re healthy, where they study because they don’t want to lag behind in their schools.

Sanatorium where all days are the same except sometimes one – or two, or three, – of kids disappear and never come back again.

He was expecting to hear Chan's voice breaking through his thoughts but yet he wasn't – so Felix jumped, eyes big and scared at Chan's _Earth to Felix!_

"Y-yes?" he asked, fingers finding support in the edge of a table.

"Woojin's leaving and refusing to go until you smile and tell bid him sweet goodbyes."

Felix, dumbfounded, laughed and waved Woojin, who immediately gave him back a warm smile.

"Glad to see you here, Lix."

He stretched out a hand for a fistbump, and when Felix returned it with a slight, unsure touch of his own fist, he finally felt real.

 

Chan was standing behind the wall, listening Woojin fixing uniform mask on his head – small click here, shifting of fabric there, and here he goes, a Miroh emergency medic.

"This boy… kind of strange," Woojin said quietly. "I mean, he's breathing with health. Even healthiest of Miroh's city hall can't compare."

Chan crossed hands in front of his chest, lips pressed tightly for a moment.

"Well. Maybe he's a successful experiment? There's no one-size-fits-all medicine, someone can be allergic, for another it's an empty shell… Maybe something worked for Felix."

"Perhaps. Then why no one is following him?"

"Maybe they follow. We will know soon, I guess…"

Chan heard Woojin's snort and shrugged, perfectly aware that his friend won't see it.

When the sound of Woojin's car engine disappeared in the distance, Chan came back, only to find Felix standing near the bookshelf, too focused to notice that he's back.

"My client will contact me soon," Chan cleared his throat. "I'll ask them, maybe… don't know, maybe they have some info about you. I mean, if you're wanted and I need to prepare a bunker for you or something."

Felix winced, but smiled, placing a book he was reading on the coach.

"I can't even help you with that. This lab was a weird place… and Chan?"

Chan raised his eyebrows.

"How much?"

"I'm sorry?"

Felix scratched his head, flustered and embarrassed.

"I mean, you're a mercenary. You don't do things for free…"

"Oh, really?" A smile. "You hide money in those bags under your eyes?"

The boy covered his eyes with hands and let out frustrated sound, something between scream and half-choked whimper.

"God… I don't. You ever saw Slums folks with money?"

"Yes, actually, but they were saving it for years to hire a mercenary to help them. I never took their money."

Before Felix could ever say a thing, Chan came closer and patted his head, softly, gently; it felt nice, especially when Felix narrowed one eye in faked annoyance, smiling weakly.

"I don't need anything from you. At least now. Just stay here and be, how do I put it…"

The word slipped from Felix's tongue before he could think about it.

"Safe place? That's more applied to you, to be honest," he added quickly.

"Who said I don't need myself a safe place?" Chan shrugged. "Mutual things are the strongest."

And that's how they settled – and none of them knew how right both of them were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/touchtofeel)   
>  [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/touchtofeel)


	3. Miroh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OST:  
> Darren Korb - Vargant Song;  
> Darren Korb - Tangent.

They spend whole week in Chan's hideout – to monitor surroundings and gather more information before he and Felix could go out if the house. Plus, Chan was waiting a call from a client with the details of their meeting, which was the most painful part – this one, Chan said, was annoying from the start and said they’re going to call him themselves. The distortion they used for their voice wasn’t that pleasing to wait for their call, too.

"What if they will use it to kill somebody?" Felix asked once, fingers tracing the locker of the case.

"Well," Chan's face was bitter. "That's not out business."

"Definitely no."

"But I'll tell them what I know, of course."

Chan smiled a bit helplessly, and Felix sighed, melting on the chair with a quiet whine.

"When will they call, sitting here whole week is no better than being locked in the lab ward… Except you don't try to prick me with needles, thank you very much"

At this Chan could only roll his eyes, fingers pressing the keyboard rather automatically, switching cameras one after another. Nothing in miles around their house, and it would be probably safe to leave a house – and do something that will help both of them.

Chan was considering it since the day one; part of being a mercenary was also being a nice bodyguard, trainer and whatnot – once he spend a whole week teaching teenage girls self-defence, and oh, those girl still were beating asses back in Slums.

So training Felix was something Chan thought about seriously; he could protect him, but first of all, Felix himself needs to know how to fight back – or at least dodge a bullet. Who knows what will wait them once they leave to the capital.

"Alright."

Chan stood up, eyeing Felix, who now was a mere little bundle, just a little too big to fit the chair with all his limbs and torso bended.

"Get up, I'll try to teach you some useful things."

 

In Chan's opinion, one of the useful things to learn in their situation was running and dodging. They spent half if the day rolling and jumping on the backyard and in the corridors of the house, evading each other's attacks from plastic gun Chan managed to find somewhere. 

Now it's not only Felix's hands, it's his whole body in bruises and scratches, as if he haven't had an exciting ride in a coffin that ended with a massive crash. He was still wondering how they both stayed alive.

As they reached the second part of the day, Felix learned to have fun. They were doing their usual – reading, talking, zoning out, but now also tried to attack each other with tickles and slight kicks so another could dodge in time. Plastic gun was left abandoned after Felix broke one of the windows while trying to knock Chan out with gun's stock.

They slept early – at least, Chan dozed out right where he was sitting with a laptop, so the boy commanded the curfew and dragged the merc to his bed, murmuring in annoyance. But Felix still couldn't even feel drowsy – after so much fun his mind traveled back to the white study room.

Close his eyes, and he's there again, leaning on Jeongin's wheelchair and pushing it forward, making engine noises as if the wheelchair was an sportscar. That boy was the weakest – most of the time Jeongin was in his own ward or in ICU, but something was keeping him alive. Hyunjin used to say that it's Jeongin's immense love for life, will to live.

He was the last to disappear – perhaps, because of his will.

 

On the next day Chan held out Felix a gun again.

It was the pneumatic one this time, so it wasn't a big deal. They went down in the basement, and Chan prepared goals and ammo for Felix to learn how to recharge and shoot. And the boy was surprisingly good at it.

He missed a lot at first, but after first recharge he was able to hit right near the bull's eye. Another few tries, and he was scoring the goals as if he was doing it forever. Chan, deeply shocked, wasn't even commenting on that, too perplexed, until Felix turned to him with the big bright smile.

"Saw that? Maybe I could work as mercenary too. Or just help you with the backup."

Chan wasn't sure what was on his face in that moment, but he saw Felix expression drop – into somehow apologetic smile.

"Just kidding… I guess."

He recharged the gun – the boy learned that part really well too, – and pointed it again. One shot, another, another five, and all so close to perfection. Felix was good, even great, and honestly – it was almost scary to see him enjoying this. He would be great backup, Chan thought, with all the skills Felix had (and he had them without Chan teaching him), he could be not just a backup, but a mercenary, and it was the least Chan wanted for him. 

Risking his life he barely saved? Maybe it was a bit overprotective of him, but Chan had his reasons – a bit selfish, though, or selfless – if you look from another angle.

But not like he could stop Felix from doing what he feels right.

After that their days became much more busier with all the training Felix was demanding. He asked if Chan was good in hand-to-hand combat, and that’s how Woojin found them – fighting on the backyard, faces dirty from all the falls in the dust.

Later, while Felix was washing away dirt and sweat, Woojin and Chan were still on the backyard, armed with two cans of beer, Woojin’s calm, almost sleepy face making Chan spill all of the worries he had for past few days.

Really, he wasn’t sure if Felix already knew all the things Chan was teaching him – the boy were adamant he never done anything like that at all, except some stunts he learned with other boys from the Slums. It sounded like true, especially after that one time when the group of kids almost robbed him. They appeared out of nowhere, honestly, Chan could’ve sworn they jumped out of the dark or from the roofs.

“You know what is also strange?” Woojin asked, eyes unfocused. “He looks really healthy. Aside from his coughing, everything looks well.”

“And what do you mean?”

“Maybe some of the medicine he was testing actually helped. Maybe his organism just stronger than others. But the last doesn’t make any sense… It’s too rare – statistic were made up so we could have some hope.”

He went silent as they heard Felix emerging from the bathroom with a whine – something about Chan leaving him all bruised when old ones just disappeared. Woojin stood up and moved to the kitchen, eyes curious.

“Hey, Felix,” he called when the boy dived deep into Chan’s wardrobe to get another black turtleneck out of the other hundred of black clothes stocked there. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“How you ended up in that lab?”

Felix peeked out of the wardrobe, small scratch from their sparring with Chan crossing his cheek. He wasn’t taken aback or surprised, but his gaze darkened in a tone or two. He shrugged, pulling the turtleneck on.

“They promised that my parents and younger siblings will move to Miroh. They lied – I heard them talking about how the _stupid scum_ from the Slums really believes them.” Felix fixed Woojin a lopsided smile.

He then disappeared in the wardrobe again, and Chan elbowed Woojin, who was now deep in his thoughts and not less grim; he waved at Chan in annoyance, before speaking again – loud enough for both Felix and Chan hear him.

“I asked if someone’s searching for you. Since you ran away from the laboratory and all… I guess they don’t give a damn because my friends in administration and forces never heard about it, so you can go visit Slums if you want to. Or go to the Miroh with Chan when he’s doing his work.”

Chan snorted.

“You’ve been meeting with Minho?”

“Yeah, and Seungmin too,” Woojin nodded. "They both now in City Hall, so if you need a little something, Seungmin can provide that."

Both Chan and Felix grasped that little brow wiggle he performed. Woojin then pulled out of his bag another bunch of beer cans and smiled, wide and sly, eyes travelling from Chan to Felix and back.

"Mind to keep me a company for the rest of the evening?"

"In _my_ house?"

"Well, I ate enough of your promises to visit mine. Felix, you're invited too, maybe you can lead this busy ass to meet his old good friend…"

 

"I know Woojin and Minho since school. Minho even served with me, but got really sick and ended up first in a hospital and then in a City Hall after the revolt was quelled."

Felix was sitting on the bike behind Chan; they were standing in front of A4 Gate, just wall and Minho's manipulations separating them from the capital. From where they were standing Felix couldn't see the dome, but he still had its picture in his mind – huge half-sphere on top of the huge box of dark stone and steel.

The walls were rising high in the sky and going far away to the left and right from A4 Gate, and the smog covered its edges.

Felix fixed the respirator on his face – this thing was even more suffocating than the world outside of Miroh. The capital was throwing away most of the shit its’ residents were producing but couldn't recycle. Their recycling facilities were located right behind the walls so they could pollute the air outside the city.

It is not fair, Chan said, as they stopped in front of the wall, because there are still people and nature outside the Miroh. But those who were lucky enough back than, when everything just started, decided that saving humanity and civilization is more important when there's a mutation destroying their bodies and collecting all possible diseases. And so the walls, dome and a maze of buildings were built, and people were separated. Textbooks said it were the necessity to preserve the healthiest ones, who will continue work and researches for the better future. People who felt guilt kept saying that it was just not right – those who opposed the building of Miroh ended up in the Slums.

"So how your friends are helpful?" Felix mused, nose scrunched when he heard his voice through the mask.

"Well, Minho actually can access any level of security in the capital. Well, don't know about any, but he succeeded to help me when I was tasked to steal something from mayor's office which pretty secured."

Felix let out silent "woah" in approvement; engines that were lifting the gates made a screeching noise, and for few minutes they both went silent – Chan handed the security guy their ID cards and glanced on Felix, who now was yawning behind him. The boy seemed pretty much unbothered with deceiving Miroh's security even though he was maybe a bit too excited when Woojin handed him his citizen ID card – made with the help of Minho.

"Your destination?"

The voice from metal box security were hiding in was metallic, machinery; Felix narrowed his eyes, listening to its conversation with Chan.

"Post office. That restaurant in Cloudbank Street, forgot the name… And home."

Through dark glass of the box Felix could see someone's eyes above the mask – the eyes inspected Chan, but expressed no suspicion.

"Here's your map. Next is disinfection process. It will take less than ten minutes… sir."

"Yeah, thanks. Not the first time doing it."

Chan saluted to the eyes behind dark glass screen and started the engine of his bike again. They only moved for a minute; door behind them locked and another metallic voice asked them to move and take place each in one red circle. Chan also relocated the bike on the bigger circle, and smiled to Felix – the boy was lost and waited for Chan to help him.

So Chan did: they needed to take off their masks and clothes, place everything in a box near them and wait.

"Close your eyes," Chan whispered when he noticed that Felix's head spinning – his eyes were sparkling with curiosity. "They're going to spray us with a lot of stuff, and you don't want it to melt your cornea."

When Chan looked at the boy again, he was squeezing his eyes – his face scrunched in a funny expression.

Disinfection went just fine – metallic voice informed them that they only had something about forty percents of bacterias on them. They also got their clothes back, still a bit wet, with a slight scent of purifier.

"Hope we won't get a cold," Chan hummed, when they finally left the A4 Gate. Just behind another, now smaller, wall was Miroh, the labyrinth city. Felix looked up, and the massive of dark concrete blocks and steel spires piercing the dome above the city reflected in his eyes.

 

Miroh was a maze.

Not by accident, it was built like a maze from the very start. The center of these concrete jungle was the Spine, governmental and mass media center, the skyscraper with its highest point just a hand stretch away from the dome.

All news and speeches by authorities, as well as forecast and all cultural events were broadcasted from the rooftop right on the dome and through speakers around the town. When Chan and Felix finally embarked on the road to Post Office to meet the client, gentle looking lady were talking to an astonishing man in a jacket sewn from a bunch of golden triangles.

"Minister of Culture," commented Chan. "Looks nice but also an asshole – most money that were donated or gathered through all the galas, concerts and stuff going no to hospitals, how it was stated, but right in his pockets. Everyone know it – and he knows everyone know."

Felix sneered.

"I thought everyone in the government like this."

"Some of them not. Mostly the youngest ones, those who still believe in a better future…"

Muroh was gray during the day, but here and there Felix could see lamps, spotlights and signboards, some of them pointed at buildings' exterior, all about lines and bold, multilayered geometric.

There were a lot of people on the streets, and Felix tried to grasp on their faces – some of them were wearing respirators, some proudly smiled and talked loudly without the masks. Last time Felix saw so many people – and still less than on Miroh's streets, – were in the lab.

The kids would laugh so loud as if in a mockery of the fate they were prepared to meet.

Maybe those people are like this, too.

Chan wasn't looking at the map much – he said he spent enough of time in Miroh during missions to remember where and when to turn. Traffic was low even for richest of Miroh's citizens cars were too expensive thanks to all the texes and confusing penalty system.

"Then how you got this one?"

Another traffic light. Felix patted the warm side of the bike, when Chan looked back at him.

"Oh. I only pay taxes. I found it in a dump outside the city."

"Lucky you."

"Hell yeah.",

Their plan was simple and easy – Felix is a backup, he has his gun and a phone to call Minho or Woojin if something goes wrong. His position is in Post Office cafeteria, table in front of the window, just enough to keep an eye on Chan.

Chan's position – double bench under street clock, bo weapons with him, just case with syringes hidden behind his legs, right under the bench.

When Felix took his post, he ordered some coffee – thanks to Chan he had some money, – and scanned the square. Post Office building was a home for hundreds of companies, so the street was a busy one, flow of people almost making dizzy if you try to see every face in the crow.

It took Felix few minutes to notice someone on another side of the street, sitting on a fence, reading a newspaper. Such a book-ish trick – it made Felix smile. This person could be client's backup, he thought, hurriedly thanking a waiter for his coffee.

Another five minutes later, he came – the client. Chan heard someone coughing and taking a place right behind him, their perfume surrounding Chan – the flowery fragrance mixed with sweet bubblegum.

"Thanks for your help," the voice was boyish and cocky – not the one Chan heard on the phone few day ago, but quite alike – without the distortion. "I guess you do know what is in that case?"

"Yeah. And I have the info that this medicine will kill you after the third syringe."

Client let out a sigh of faked surprise – a bit too much drama for Chan's taste.

"I know that well. Mind elaborate on where _you_ got this info?"

At this, Chan only hummed in amusement.

"I have my sources."

Then Chan heard the case being pulled from under the bench, quick fingers tapping its steel sides.

"Well, you have a right to keep your sources in secret," the voice was almost gentle. "We're not going to kill anyone with this…"

Chan smirked.

"Only with this."

"Well, you have to do the thing in the name of better future sometimes, you know."

Thank god they couldn’t see how far Chan's eyes rolled – his client, apparently, was part of yet another group with great idea of changing Miroh's policy. And based on the fact they needed this medicine, they are somehow involved with pharmacy in this city. What could be worst?

Probably only the government themselves.

"Thanks for your help," the voice proceeded. "You got all the money beforehand, as I believe."

"Yes. Very wise of you."

"We just want to be civil with potentially helpful people."

Then Chan heard his client standing up and walking away. He allowed himself to look back after the steps faded in a square's noise – he saw a young man in a bomber jacket with Miroh's basketball team logo on the back. Young man turned his head when someone else appeared near him and smiled, wide and beaming, before they both disappeared in the crowd.

"Hey."

It was Felix. He sat on the bench, holding another cup of coffee – for Chan.

"Everything's good? They had their own backup."

Chan nodded.

"Yep. I saw them. Thanks for your help. What now, that restaurant?"

Felix returned Chan a smile before they got back to the bike and headed to the restaurant Chan mentioned.

 

The thing is, it was kind of expensive to eat somewhere not in home – restaurants had to deal with ten times more sanitation and buy ingredients from specialized companies that provided absolutely natural products. Another thing that made hospitality in Miroh an expensive thing is the fact that even slight allergy can cause big problems for people with systemic organism lesions, which is almost hundred percents of world's population.

The restaurant they entered in had a hypo-allergenic logo on their doors which basically meant everything was grown in a lab, harvested without all the components that can cause an allergy for very average citizen.

They were walking between tables, talking about what they would like to eat; they decided to go there because Felix had no idea about having allergies or not, so Chan thought that they need a safe option first – even though they eat everything that is edible at home.

Felix was wearing the baseball cap Chan bought him few blocks away – it had cool logo on it and also was a good thing to have just in case someone could know a fugitive of the lab. No one gave him any extra attention even though Felix moved the cap so it would hide his eyes and most of freckles.

So both Chan and Felix were startled when someone shouted _God, it's Felix!_ from a dark corner of the restaurant.

Next thing Chan could see – is familiar basketball team logo on the back and Felix eyes, big and full of fear, when stranger's hands pull him into a bear hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/touchtofeel)   
>  [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/touchtofeel)


	4. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Han Jisung Is Your President

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OST:  
> Darren Korb - Sinking Feeling  
> Darren Korb - Old Friends

The brightest memory about Jisung – is his big ass smile.

Felix knew him since kindergarten or so; they are the same year and literally day apart – Jisung was born on 14th, Felix – on 15th of September.

It was September when they met. Felix's father brought him to kindergarten, and the boy clung to him all the time father was talking with teachers. They weren't alone in the hall – another boy was sitting by himself on a bench, legs swinging to a song only he could hear. The boy was looking at little Felix above his face mask with a peculiar interest – so he fixed his own mask, as if trying to raise it to his eyes.

"You won't need it until the evening," said teacher softly and stretched her hand, so Felix could give the mask away. "Jisung, you too."

Jisung jumped off the bench and made his way to Felix and teacher – the other boy immediately hid behind father's legs, still peeking carefully.

But father took his both hands and placed in front of Jisung – at which this boy with puffy cheeks and curious black eyes smiled, wide and bright.

"Hi! You look better without that mask."

And tiny finger touched little brown dot on the tip of Felix's noise. The boy scrunched his nose, but smiled back. He never knew how far this will get them.

 

Now as they were standing in the middle of the restaurant, Felix could remember it all; the first time they met each other, as bright as their last. He pressed his palm into Jisung's back – and Chan could hear the boy whispering something to another, under his breath, softly, carefully.

When Jisung finally pulled back, there was a smile on his lips – small, tender, a bit shy. He turned back to Chan – he probably recognized his white curly hair, – and gasped, covering mouth with his palm.

"Oh my god. Felix, do you… you know him?" he turned back to Felix, who was about to say something – but gulped it immediately.

"Uh… Yeah. He's kinda…"

"Something like his bodyguard," Chan continued with a shrug.

There was a strange glimpse in Jisung's eyes when he peeked at Chan again, then – at Felix, who now was uncomfortably rolling from his heels to toes.

"Okay."

Jisung inspected Chan again, but then gave him another bright smile – almost as bright as he gave to Felix.

They finally settled. Felix sat beside Chan, so Jisung on the other side of the table felt kind of lonely and anxious. But Chan caught an exchange of glances between those too, noticed Felix's little smirk and thumbs up; so Jisung could go back – or get into character? – and reclaim his strong voice and confident posture.

They ordered some food, and Jisung asked Felix about how he was.

"It could take a whole week to explain you," Felix muttered, stealing seaweed from the plate.

"I have a week for you, but I guess you don't have much time here."

Felix just nodded.

"We need to go back tomorrow's morning. I kinda learn the mercenary stuff from Chan."

"Mercenary stuff."

Felix gave Chan a look, at which the latter only rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his glass – water with lemon. Best when you don't want anything special but still need to keep yourself busy when having a company. And when your caution spiked up to the point where you just can't listen to someone's courtesy bartering.

"So… You got comfortable there in Slums?"

Felix sputtered. 

"If you can call it comfortable…"

He felt Chan's gaze on him and coughed, fingers anxiously crushing the piece of dried seaweed.

"I lived in Miroh before my parents got kicked out," he explained. "That doesn't actually matter because… you know how they kick people out. One day you exist, next day you not – I believe all records about me and my family got deleted."

"They are," Jisung reaffirmed. "I was searching for you later, and there was nothing neither on you or your parents."

Chan scrunched his nose in mild frustration. 

"But why were you kicked out?"

"His parents were in the government back in those days," Jisung spoke first; Felix just nodded, hands still bust with ruining seaweed chips. 

"They' were one of supporters, but I guess someone saw them as an obstacle or was just pissed with something. I remember how my father came home and told me that I better not to talk to you any more. And soon you disappeared."

"They fabricated lab tests on us and diagnosed," Felix emphasized on the last word with rolled eyes and really annoyed furrow, "that we're sick with something really contagious. I couldn't even finish my first year in school. One night – and we already were thrown away in the middle of Slums."

Jisung's expression suddenly changed – as if someone found a switch or took off his mask; it was sorrowful, lonely, completely naked face – and for a moment Chan thought that maybe Jisung was blaming himself for what happened to Felix. He would blame himself too – going down straight to hell when you lived in safety all this time was the worst thing to happen. Even more worse than being born in Slums.

Felix, meanwhile, was going on about how he learned a lot in the Slums, even though he's still no use for Chan – brows wiggling, implying all the talks about mercenary work that Felix could also take. 

But Chan was too immersed in watching Jisung, who changed his expression again – and now was frantically tapping his pockets as if looking for something. He asked the waiter for a pen and, when he finally acquired it, started drawing something on a napkin.

"I'm sorry to leave you so suddenly, but I forgot that I was supposed to do something important after dinner, and with you it's already my second one… Here's my number, call me whenever, Lix, I will come and help. Wherever."

Jisung paused, taking a long moment to observe Felix's face – honey skin, adorned with constellations of freckles.

"I guess there's a lot of sun in Slums,", Jisung was almost whispering.

Felix nodded slowly, small smile appearing on his face, making it even younger.

"Much more than here. So much more that no one could even find me until the dark."

"Were you just dissolving in the sunlight?"

"Almost?"

They laughed; Felix – warm and loud, Jisung – silently, with his eyes locked on his own hand now.

"Okay!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I should be going. See you sometimes. And Chan… thanks again."

"No worries," Chan shrugged. "Just don't kill people with it. My sources are worried."

Jisung just saluted, going to the door backwards and almost knocking down another restaurant guest.

They were sitting in silence next few minutes, napkin still lying on Jisung's side of the table. Chan started first: he moved his eyes to the right, where Felix was sniffling occasionally – just to check if the boy suddenly decided to cry. But he wasn't.

"Why do I feel there's more about him?"

"He's doing some weird stuff, you said it himself," Felix vaguely moved his shoulders. "My guess is that he's doing something behind his father's big ass figure – like planning new revolt or something."

Chan squinted at him.

"Is that because of you?"

"A lot more people here treated unfair. Me and my family are not the trigger."

"But it looks like you are dear to him. In some ways."

Little grin graced Felix's face – with the sparkles in his eyes, he resembled an elf from those fantasy movies – about to pull off another trick, about to throw banana peel under bad guy's heels, to tangle their shoelaces and replace toothpaste with shaving foam or foot cream.

But Felix decided not to answer. Instead, he reached out for the napkin, read it quickly and then placed in front of Chan.

Among funny squirrel faces, was written: _Gates A4, 80th kilometer, main road. Tomorrow's morning._

Felix folded the napkin and carefully tucked it in slightly oversized leather jacket pocket.

 

Chan never needed a map to navigate Miroh no matter how hard the labyrinth was getting over the years. After the restaurant they made a little shopping trip – Chan insisted that Felix needed some personal belongings to begin with. 

Chan never asked if Felix wanted to go back to Slums, and Felix was insisting on getting a job _or something_ to help Chan – so they were settled without saying a word, even though they still were fighting over “mercenary stuff”.

It's just Chan's brain were working restlessly, sneaking a glances then and now to just prove himself that no one is watching them, no one's trying to bring Felix back to that laboratory – or kick out of Miroh as unauthorized Slums resident who somehow got in the capital.

He was, in fact – and maybe he was a bit too careless.

They were riding to Chan's Miroh apartment when Felix looked up, at the dome, illuminated by neon signs and news broadcasts. He took off his cap and propped it to his belt, so it won't block the view – if someone was searching for a freckled boy in a city with pale, grey, dried out by SOL people, he would be found in seconds.

So many years passed, but everything was the same. Another medicine failed tests, caused deaths of the test volunteered subjects. Fight between Miroh's charity mission and Slums' people, five dead, two security guards injured. Health care minister visiting hospital, thankful kids singing a song for him – minister could barely keep the tears. Popular singer cancelling her concerts due to intensive illness episodes, her personal doctor comments: "Just a week of rest and you'll hear the Voice of Miroh again."

"Lix."

Felix almost missed Chan's voice on the street buzzing; they were standing on the red light, and the boy pressed closer to Chan to hear him better.

"Should we go there?"

For the first time since they read the note left on the napkin.

"I really don't know. It might be a trap. It might be not."

"You trust him?"

“That’s… complicated,” small hum. “I want to. No matter what happened between us– our families back then, he is a nice person. I think he is. Even after all those years.”

Another five minutes of driving; Felix clinging to Chan’s back as if he is a huge koala, news episodes flashing over their heads between countless and countless spires of high-rise buildings: now something about police suspecting a conglomerate in infectioning whole family. Chan looking on the road, expression under his helmet still and peaceful – he winced just once, when felt warm liquid touching his philtrum.

“Let’s go there, then. If it’s a trap, then I’ll have a chance to test my skills and all,” Felix said – Chan opened the door to the apartments, thanking whoever who left the lights off, so he had a chance to wipe off the blood and pretend that nothing happened.

“You still entertain the idea of being a merc?” Chan snorted. “You know that _won’t_ happen. Not on my watch.”

“But mom.”

Chan gave Felix a glance, and got puppy eyes in return – something too hard to fight back. But Chan tried and hissed in annoyance, waving Felix off.

“We’ll see. But no showing off and stuff, or I’ll be the first to beat your ass.”

Felix was about to say something, but Chan suddenly grimaced, throwing his helmet on the coach.

“Why do you even want it? Risking your life for someone who may not even deserve it.”

“You do this almost every day.”

“Because this is my way of dealing with the shit we are all in,” avoiding Felix’s eyes, Chan tried to busy himself with checking security screen.

He thought that the boy won’t answer him – so long, prolix was the pause he held. But then he heard Felix – his voice silent, but confident.

“I need to risk my life if I want to help someone in the _right_ way.”

Then – quiet bump of the door and white noise of water in the bathroom. Chan allowed himself a long, tired groan, and swiped another blood drop, threatening to drop on white rug.

 

Felix was looking at his father, his face deformed by anger; his mom was there too – she was trying to dress Felix up, but her hands were shaking and betrayed her on every button of Felix’s coat.

“Why the hell those buttons are so…”

“Where are we going?” Felix finally dared to ask. “I can’t be at your… press conferences today, I have a math test.”

Father was dead silent but his knuckles turned white – and Felix saw the blood drop slowly dripping down father’s tip of the nose..

“I don’t want to go,” the boy repeated, now looking at his mom. “Leave me, I can even get home by myself.”

“We need to leave Miroh,” his mother whispered. “As soon as possible.”

“What? Why? But school! Jisung!”

Father’s voice thundered in small school hallway, and Felix tucked his head, squeezing his eyes shut – his father was scary, too scary to even look at him.

“Don’t you ever mention that damned name!” his laugh was almost hysterical. “Don’t you… ever think of him and his family, those snakes!..”

His voice was trembling; Felix opened his eyes to see his mother standing up, trying to hold his father’s hands – he was so close, hands raised as if he tried to hit him.

“Thanks to their help, Felix, you and your family are kicked out of the capital, we’ll… we’ll die in Slums among these contagious pricks!” Father was almost out of breath. “And your friend’s family is behind this.”

“It wasn’t me!”

The shiver in Felix’s body paralyzed him, he couldn’t turn back to see Jisung. How long he was there? How much he heard? Is it true? Is his father sending them to Slums? Felix felt his mother’s hand grabbing his hood and dragging the boy out of the hallway, his legs barely moving as if they made out of clay.

“Felix!” Jisung was standing there, behind him, too scared to come closer, to weak to fight back. “Felix, I know you are not sick! I just heard about this, I never knew… Don’t hate me!”

Jisung’s voice, thin and high, was ringing in the hallway – and in Felix’s ears all the way to the Gates. Everything they had were respirators and clothes that was on them; Felix’s backpack with books and school supplies. The keychain with little red fox that Jisung gave him as present when they enrolled in one school.

Jisung’s voice, still ringing in his head. 

“It wasn’t me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter   
>  curious cat


	5. Lab Rats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll place ost notes in the chapter text because somehow it's really important here. Make sure to listen!

Okabe Keiichi - Weight of the World;  
Olivier Deriviere - Hope

_...We started working on a cure even before our son was born. But when I first took him in my hands, it became my first priority, my lifework. Unfortunately, his immune system was weak, and we spent months in a hospital. Once we left home, I started the research from very beginning. When everything started._

_What do we have? An explosion that caused a whole laboratory of chemicals spreading all over the world, drastically changing organisms. We already had AIDS, and as if it wasn’t enough, we met SOL – Systematic Organizm Lesion._

_I don’t think that “lesion” is the right word. In fact, it is a mutation, radiation. It’s just as if someone wanted to make it less horrible and called it “sun”._

_Existing organisms mutated quickly. Temperature drops in few points, and you already have a cold supported with bronchitis and whatnot. You cut a finger and die from blood infection. Chronic illnesses are the death sentence. Cancer? Incurable. Pregnancy can kill both mother and child if they are not healthy enough. Inhaling pollen means long coughing episodes. In one year after the Explosion food allergy killed more people than ten years prior._

_Your brain, heart, blood vessels – myocardial, aneurysms, tumors. My mother was working on it. Father died in her hands because one of the aneurysms in his head popped in the middle of the street. I have nosebleeds on daily basis._

_SOL downgraded medicine to the beginning of 21st century, if not far back._

_Is there any hope? Always._

_The hope is sleeping in my son’s room and holding his hand after he nearly fainted when they were playing with coloring books..._

_”New Age of Illness. SOL Diaries”, professor Hwang Minji in cooperation with professor Hwang Hyungu. Miroh Science Magazine. Unpublished._

Darren Korb - In case of troubles

When they reached 80th kilometer point, there was no one around. Chan took of his helmet and shook his head, bleached curly hair fluffing even more than they were already. It was raining outside Miroh, and both him and Felix soaked to the skin.

“And where’s your friend?” Chan asked, squinting to see anything behind the rain wall.

“Maybe we should get somewhere? I don’t want you to get a cold or something else.”

“Said you.”

Felix rolled his eyes. If Chan was wearing leather coat, Felix decided that he wants something soft and fuzzy, so the jacket he got in Miroh now was all wet.

“There’s something like a bus stop,” Chan pointed somewhere and started bike’s engine again. “The only thing I love the capital for is their damn glass dome.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

They were standing under the bus stop in the middle of what was lively countryside before. There was footpaths to abandoned houses, all grown with grass up to thighs, overgrown gardens, some of them dead, some still pale green. Chan patted the place near him so Felix could sit close and they both – stay warm, and were talking about how it was probably a joke or some kind of trap that not actually worked, when they heard another engine.

Silent click – the section where the gun was secured in Chan's bike opened with his slightest touch. It was still a mystery for Felix _how_ Chan upgraded this motorcycle in almost spaceship.

But caution was futile – it was Jisung. He emerged from the car he was driving and opened his mouth in dramatic gasp.

"You idiots were driving on a bike in this kind of weather? Take your stuff and throw it in the car, I don't want you both to die from basic cold."

"Basic cold," Chan tasted these words on his tongue. "Funny how people still think it's a minor illness."

Jisung just snorted, as if Chan said something indeed funny, ignoring two pair of eyes asking him to elaborate.

They hid Chan's bike in the grass and took seats in Jisung's car. The ride will be long, he said, so you could sleep or something, but none of them could close their eyes.

Chan was still cautious. He took a gun with him and sat on the front passenger seat, politely offered Jisung an apology and shoot Felix a look: keep an eye out there. But Jisung only smiled, suggesting them to memorize the road.

"Maybe you'll need it," he snickered at Felix's perplexed gaze.

"But where are we going?"

"I want you to meet my rascals."

"Rascals?"

"It won't be that interesting if I tell you now, right? I understand that you think right now that I'm going to, don't know, send you to some weird lab for experiments."

Felix visibly shiverd, and Chan noticed how Jisung curled his fingers tightly on a wheel.

"They are just kids. Like me, you, Felix. But we together are team, and we want to change the world."

Jisung looked back from the road to Chan for a second, and his eyes had nothing but honestly.

"And we only accept new teammates voluntary basis so you won't be enslaved or brainwashed. If you'll hate what we have to suggest you, you can go.”

“Not even killing since we know where you guys located?” squinted Chan. “What is this… unprecedented generosity extravaganza? “

Jisung laughed and shrugged, looking back at him with mischievous sparkles in his eyes.

“I just know you both won’t mind to stay. We are charming enough to make you stay on voluntary basis.”

“But this is… a brainwash, actually,” Felix spoke carefully.

But they already saw their destination – old abandoned house in European style, door once were red, barred up windows were blue – now almost black. Vines embraced every wall, old door hanging on door hinges.

“It’s… shabby, but cozy inside.”

“Why would you base here when you can just take your _rascals_ to Miroh?” Chan asked, when they finally walked in these debris. Felix was hiding behind Chan’s back, hand on his own – for a while, – gun. His intuition, or whatever was that feeling that settled in his chest, made it hard for him to breath, but Felix maintained curious look on his face when the three was walking through dark corridors of the old house.

If Jisung betrayed him, Felix though, he would shot him without hesitation. At least, he hoped he would.

Jisung lead them to the basement, his chatter filling the cold walls of old house. He was talking about how _they_ found this house and made it home for themselves until the day everything’s ready to move _all of them_ to Miroh. Jisung was ignoring every little question Chan tried to ask him, mysterious smile gracing his lips – not about how big their group, who’s the leader if not Jisung, what are they going to do, et cetera.

“See yourself,” was all he said before opening the door – and pushing Felix first to get in the basement.

There was music playing from someone’s phone, screens of four laptops glistening with images from cameras placed somewhere around the house. Another laptops stacked closed on another table, around them – dispatcher equipment, papers and papers, some vials with weird liquid – and infamous case, opened, syringes glistening in an obscure light. And other than that the basement looked as typical living room, with sofas and soft chairs, soft carpet already under Felix’s feets, TV with white noise highlighting the opposite wall.

Two people seemingly enjoying the time of their life, both turned their backs to newcomers.

The black haired boy with undercut and thin face was trying to change the music, but other boy, who was lying on the coach, big hood covering his head and half of his face, whined and tried to wave him off, holding his phone close to his chest.

“Stop annoying me,” the hood whined again. “You were playing your stuff for whole morning and I couldn’t sleep. Now – suffer.”

“You’re supposed to be nice to me, aren’t you? Where is the cute soft Jeonginie I knew...”

“Died in a ditch. As well as you, remember?”

The hood laughed, high and absolutely satisfied with bitter expression of his friend. Black haired boy slapped him on the thigh slightly – and finally lifted his head. His eyes fixed on Felix – realization came slowly, as if the feather landed on the top of his head.

“Hey,” he patted Jeongin’s shoulder. “It’s Felix.”

Before any of other three could say something, Jeongin launched himself from sofa right into Felix, the hood falling from his head and revealing red messy hair.

 

There was a lot of other kids around Felix most of the time, he got so used to them screaming, laughing, whispering and crying. Chan’s hideout felt unreal now – thick pillows pressed to both of his ear, the stun after you hit your head just hard to lose your conscious for a half of a second.

When Chan first left the house for his usual patrol on the third day of Felix’s newfound freedom, the boy felt dumbfounded, scared, lost. Now he could do whatever he wanted to. The hour without Chan lasted almost as long as whole day, and a day filled with simple past time activities was even longer. Felix could sleep, could read, could play with Chan, they talked a lot and sometimes just zoned out. Trainings made days go a little faster - but not as fast as days in the lab.

In fact, days in the facility all were the same – and Felix could say exactly what going to happen in which second.

Getting up in six in the morning. Staff checking his metrics: pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, reflexes. Then half of an hour to take a shower and brush teeth, dress up in clean white clothes. Long minutes of waiting in front of the door, listening to the steps behind it, until another medical stuff will open his door and let him out.

Breakfast: another half of an hour, huge dining room filled with kids of all ages. Felix’s seat in the corner, on his right side – Hyunjin, silently eating his porridge and drinking his tea or juice. They would eat, then get separated: Felix would go to the study, where he’s surrounded by books and teachers; Hyunjin – another bunch of tests. Sometimes he would come to the study early, on his own feets, sometimes he would never appear there – on this day or another couple of days. When he’s back, his smile is fading – but it’s still a smile.

Sometimes there’s Changbin in the study. He’s helping Felix with math when he’s feeling good. There’s a bunch of pills in the box that he carries in his pocket, they’re white as snow and smell like dust. When Felix asked, what these for, Changbin smiled and shook the box – pills made rattling sound, too loud for a study; some other kids who came after tests turned to them with curious or judging looks.

“This? Just vitamins. I thought you take them too.”

Felix nodded, unfazed. “Yeah. I take some. Just… don’t pay much attention.”

The vitamins in Felix’s ward are red as blood and smell like iron.

Somewhere in afternoon: lunch, and then – free time, where they finally see Jeongin, who’s sitting on the wheelchair. He hates it so much but yet smiling whenever Felix or Changbin would give him a speedy ride through the corridors of the facility – until someone would notice them. When Hyunjin’s there too, they feel more like a whole. 

It’s just Felix who’s always falling out of their fun time, because as soon as they start to play for real, medical staff would appear and take him. Blood test. Another one. And another one.

Last meal of the day is in Felix’ room. It’s full of iron and other things that the nurse, the one that takes care of Felix the most, claims to be _healthy_. Next – red vitamins. And Felix would eat it without a word, because that’s when his head stops spinning, when his limbs stop shaking. The nurse always promise him he could go to his friends after he’s done with his dinner, but he’s always falling asleep few minutes later, with his tea left untouched.

One day, half asleep, he heard her saying: “Poor boy. He’s better not to get close with them.”

One day there was no one by his side at the breakfast. Another day no one came to the study to help him with math. And another day there were no loud whine in the corridor when wheelchair got stuck in a doorway.

Week later, when he got lost in the facility, Felix saw steel coffins. Another week later, he ran away.

It was actually easy. Almost too easy to escape. Felix expected that his nurse would follow him wherever he goes, but she haven’t noticed him when other kids started make a noise because of the math test some of elder kids held for them. He thought other staff would catch him when he sneaked to one of the staff rooms where the detailed map of facility was hanged. _In case of emergency_ was written in red on the upper side of the map.

He found emergency escape and he found morgue. He also found the “coffin path”, which was the easiest way to escape. He also saw the river where all the coffins were downed and a man who was dragging broken bodies to coffins that ended up falling on earth and not in the river. The man was crying – at least in that moment.

He never had an exact plan, so everything he did was a pure impromptu. First, he started a fight in a dining room. It took a bit of observation to notice some kids who couldn’t stand each other, and just a bit of imagination to tell them lies convincing enough that they would run on each other and fight. The fight lit up the whole dining room as if a match fell in gasoline.

While staff tried to calm kids down, Felix sneaked out and ran down the stairs. When he reached the morgue, his stomach twisted in fear – sirens went off, announcing his escape to all facility personnel. The boy tucked on his robe, still walking. He could feel his knees shaking, mind blinding, but he only saw the door, heavy steel door to where all his friends disappeared in. 

The morgue was cold and white, too white and pure for a place like this. Felix rushed himself to command panel and started the leading of empty coffins prepared for new bodies – thank god they are still empty, Felix thought, thank god he won’t see dead bodies of kids he knew.

Lying inside steel coffin, he touched his forearms – they are all in marks from needles and bruises from drips. It ended now, Felix though, he managed to end this for himself, and – if he’s alive after the wild trip he’s launching himself into, – he could end this for other kids in this facility.

None of them deserved to be laboratory rat.

 

Now he’s standing in the basement of old house, face buried in Jeongin’s shoulder. Turns out, he’s just few centimeters higher. No sedative pills, no syringes, no nurses and endless tests. Changbin still standing there, on the couch, his shoulders dropped, face naked – as if he’s about to cry.

Felix felt Chan’s eyes on him but couldn’t move in Jeongin’s hands – he just lifted his head and looked younger boy in the eyes, so bright and full of life, that life that was infecting everyone around Inie better than any SOL could do.

Sometimes Felix was thinking that Jeongin is the key to everyone’s health.

 

“So you ran away?”

“Yeah, few weeks ago.”

“Was it hard?”

“Just at the beginning, when you all… disappeared.”

“We’re so sorry, Lix, we really do.”

“Don’t worry. I would think about myself first too. In fact, it was like this – I thought that if I survive after that coffin lands, then I could help anyone.”

“You will. We will, Felix.”

They still heard their voices going up the stairs – then they faded. Chan and Jisung left basement to give boys some privacy. They settled in the kitchen, cold room on first floor of the house; they did a little renovation here judging by the smell of paint and working light.

Jisung told Chan the short story. There were four of them, they ran away one by one – and just like this Jisung found them. First Changbin, hiding in the Slums. Then Jeongin, barely alive, somewhere on this road.

“They all struggled to survive. Amazing how none of them haven’t fell sick with something – aside from chronic stuff, they’re all pretty healthy. I believe that goes to Felix too.”

When Chan asked him the main question, Jisung simply smiled.

“This lab is one of my dad’s facilities. Except he doesn’t know what they are doing. He just laundered money.”

“You have something big planned, right?” asked then Chan, fingers flipping the key card that someone forgot here.

“I do. Because there are bigger things behind that lab and experiments. And I feel like it’s almost my responsibility – to do things right.”

“Do things right?”

“I mean,” Jisung let out a sigh. “I don’t have a savior complex, it’s just… I know too much.”

“Mind to share?”

Under Chan’s stare Jisung felt almost weak – he shifted on his feets, scratched his head before looking back. Now – confident and collected again.

“I will soon. I don’t want Felix to be involved with this if he doesn’t want the same. I mean, Changbin and Inie are up to it, but Felix…”

Chan decided not to tell him anything – and just shrugged before patting Jisung’s shoulder with a soft smile.

“Let’s give them some time. I’m sure they have a lot to talk about.” Then something got Chan’s attention again, and he furrowed, trying to collect the words and put them right. 

“But you said there were four of them. Where’s the fourth?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> el Sol - sun from spanish
> 
> This takes me longer to write than I thought OTL Hope you liked it! 
> 
>  
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/touchtofeel\)%20twitter.com/touchtofeel)  
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/touchtofeel\)%20curiouscat.me/touchtofeel)


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